Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
The comfort and benefit of a good conſcience in the times of common feares and calamities, in the times of perſonall evils, as ſickneſſe, and afflictions, for conſcience ſake.
IN the ſecond place, let us ſee what 2. The comfort of a good conſcience in the times of common feares and calamities.the benefit and comfort of a good conſcience is, in the times of Common feares, and Common calamities. When the world is full of feares and dangers, and calamities breake in, how fares it then with an evill conſcience, in what taking are they that want a good conſcience? They are abſorpt with feares, and the very tydings puts them to ſuch perplexities, Iſa. 7. 2. Ahas is told of a confederacie betweene Syria, and Ephraim, and ſee in what feares hee and his people were, His heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. So deeply doe reports and and evill tidings affect them, the trees in the wood are not ſo ſhaken with the bluſtering windes, as evill conſciences are with evill tydings. When ill newes, and ill conſciences meet, there is no ſmall feare. The ſignes that prognoſticate ſorrowfull times, ſee how deeply they affect evill conſciences, Luke 21. 25. There ſhall be ſignes in the Sun and the Moone, and in the ſtars, and upon the earth, diſtreſſe of Nations with perplexity, mens hearts failing them for feare, and for looking after thoſe things which are comming in the earth. But when calamitie indeed comes, and not ill newes, but ill times, and ill conſciences meet, how are they then? They are then either in the caſe the Aegyptians were in the famine, Gen. 47. 13. They were at their wits end; or as thoſe in a ſtorme at Sea, Pſ. 107. 26, 27. Their ſoule is melted becauſe of trouble, They reele to and fro, and ſtagger like a drunken man, and all their wiſedome is ſwallowed vp. Exceſſe of feare puts them into as great diſtempers, as exceſſe of wine, it utterly ſtupifies them, and they by feare, are as much bereft of the uſe of their ſenſes, wit, and wiſedome, as a drunkard is in his drunkeneſſe. Yea, their feares make them not onelyonly drunke, but ſtarke madde, Deut. 28. 34. Thou ſhalt be oppreſſed and curſed alway, ſo that thou ſhalt bee madde for the ſight of thine eyes which thou ſhalt ſee. The perplexities of an evill conſcience in evill times, are vnſpeakeably grievous. Iſay doth exceeding lively deſcribe them, Iſay 31. 7, 8, 9. Therefore ſhall all hands be faint, and every mans heart ſhall melt, And they ſhall be afraid, pangs and ſorrowes ſhall take hold of them, they ſhall be in paine as a woman that travells, they ſhall be amazed one at another, their faces ſhall bee as flames, &c. Hence that ſame ſtrange queſtion of the Prophet, Ierem. 30. 6, Aske ye now, and ſee whether a man doth travell with childe? A ſtrange queſtion, what ſhould make the Prophet aske it? Becauſe he foreſaw ſuch ſtrange behaviour amongſt them, carrying themſelves in the ſame faſhion in the day of calamitie, that women vſe to doe in the extremity of the pangs of childbirth. Wherefore doe I ſee every man with his hands on his loynes as a woman in travell, and all-faces are turned into paleneſſe? Alas, for that day is great, ſo that none is like it, it is even the time of Iacobs trouble. When ſuch wofull dayes befall a man, all his riches will not yeeld him a jot of comfort, Pro. 11. 4. Riches availe not in the day of wrath. No, that will no whit cheere a man at ſuch a time, They ſhall caſt their ſilver in the ſtreets, and their gold ſhall be removed, &c. Ezek. 7. 19. This ſhall be the miſerable pickle a man ſhall bee in at ſuch a time, that wants a good Conſcience.
But now looke upon a man with a good conſcience in ſuch times, and how fares it with him? Let evill tydings and times come, how is he affected therewithall? He will not be afraid of evill tydings, for his heart is fixed, Pſalme. 112. 7. Fe re he may, but yet his Heart ſhall be free from thoſe reſtleſſe, and perplexing diſtractions, wherewith all others are vexed, Luke 22. 9. When ye ſhall heare of warres and commotions, be not terrified. And Prov. 3. 25. Be not afraid of ſudden feare. There is nothing ſo armes and reſolves the heart againſt feares and evill tydings, as doth the peace and integrity of a good conſcience. For let there bee outward peace abroad in the world, and freedome from all feares of warres and combuſtions, yet little joy and comfort can a man have therein, whileſt his conſcience proclames warre againſt him, and as Gods Herald ſummons him to battell. Thoſe inward warres, and rumours of warres, wofully diſtract him in the midſt of his outward peace. So contrarily let there be peace within in the conſcience, and all warres, and feares of warres huſht there, and then what ever feares and troubles are like to be without, yet there will bee a calme, a ſerenity, and a ſweet ſecurity within.
Bee carefull, and ſo fearefull, for nothing, Phil. 4. 6. To bee fearefull in nothing, is indeed an excellent happineſſe of a well compoſed minde. How might one attaine thereto? How might a man bring his heart to that fixed and ſtabliſht temper? See verſ. 7. The Peace of God that paſſes all underſtanding ſhall guard your hearts and mindes, foreign, ſhall keepe with a guard, as Kings have their guards about them, to ſave their perſons from violence; ſhall guard your hearts, that is, your affections, that they run not into extremities of impatience, diſtraction, deſparation; when feares and terrours ſhall come, yee ſhall not be tranſported with ſuch diſtracting thoughts as ſhall deprive you of the freedom of your minds, but that you ſhall have them to attend upon God in the greateſt of your dangers. So that a man with a good conſcience in the middſt of all feares and combuſtions can ſing with David, Pſal. 116. 7. Returne unto thy reſt, O my ſoule. The peace of a good conſcience is like the ballaſt of a Ship. Let a Ship goe to Sea without ballaſt in the bottome, and every blaſt of wind is ready to overturne it, but being wel ballaſted, though the winds blow ſtrong, yet it ſayles ſteddily and ſafely. Every blaſt of ill newes, and tidings of feare, how full of terrible apprehenſions it fils an ill conſcience, it miſerably unſettles and diſtracts it, whilſt a good conſcience, what blaſts ſoever blow, hath its heart ſteddy and at good command.
Mee thinkes when I conſider Noah in his Cabbine, or neſt in the Arke, with what ſecurity and quiet of heart hee ſits there, notwithſtanding the clattering of the raines upon the Arke, the roaring of the waters, and the hideous howling and out-cryes of thoſe that were drown'd in the flood, I ſee the Embleme of a good conſcience. Tubalcain,-Lamech, Iabal, Iubal, with what horrid perplexities are their ſoules diſtraught. Some climbe up this houſe top, ſome this high tree, others flee to ſome high mountaine, and there in what horror and amazement are they, whilſt one ſees his Children ſprawling, another his wife ſtrugling for life upon the face of the mercileſſe waters, but eſpecially whilſt they behold the waters riſing by little and little, and purſuing them to the houſe tops, and threatning to ſweepe them off from the heads of the Mountaines, to which they had betaken themſelves. Theſe feares and amazements were worſe then an hundreth deathes. But now all this while how is it with Noah, hee ſits dry in his cabbin, and litterally was the ſaying of the Pſalme verified of him, Surely in the floods of great waters they came not nigh unto him, Pſ. 32. 6. He hath his Ark pitcht within, and pitcht without, neither duplicate page duplicate page can the raines from above beat in, nor the waters from beneath leake in, let all fountaines of the great deepe be broken up, and the flood-gates of heaven be opened, yet not one drop of water comes at him, and though the waters prevayle fifteene Cubits above the high hils and mountaines, ſo that they bee covered, yet Noah hee is out of all feare, let them riſe as high as they will, yet ſhall hee keepe above them ſtill. Iuſt ſuch is the condition, and happineſſe of a man with a good conſcience in ſad times. Whileſt the high hils, and mountaines are covered, the great and brave ſpirits of the world are overwhelmed with feare, are poſſeſt with dreadfull apprehenſions, ſo as they know not which way to looke, nor which way to take, even then a man with a good conſcience hath a ſtrange quiet of heart, is full of ſweet ſecurity and reſolution, and amids all the ſhrikes, howlings, and wringing of hands of earthly men, by patience poſſeſſes his ſoule, is maſter of himſelfe, and compoſes his ſoule to reſt. His Arke is pitcht within and without. The peace of God, and the peace of a good conſcience, keepes the water-floods from comming into his ſoule. The raine and the waves they beat upon the Arke, but yet they pierced it not. A man with a good conſcience may fall into, and may be ſwept away with common calamites: yet how ever it fare with his outward man, yet his ſoule is free from that horrour; and thoſe madding perplexities wherewithall wicked ones are overtaken. The peace of a good conſcience ſhall keepe off theſe diſtracting feares from his minde Though he cannot be free happily from the common deſtructions, yet ſhall be free from the common diſtractions of the world. There be two things in common calamities, The ſword without, and terror within, Deut. 32. 25. and the latter of the two, is the worſe by far. Now here is the benefit of a good conſcience, though it doth not ſave alwaies from the ſword without, yet it delivers alwaies from the terror within; which gives a terrible edge to the ſword, and which being removed the ſword is nothing ſo terrible. When the Canaanites were deſtroyed by Iſrael, there was a double ſorrow and ſmart upon them. The ſword of the Iſraelite, and Gods Hornet, Ioſh. 24. 12. What was that Hornet? Nothing elſe but that diſtracting and perplexing feare and terrour wherewith God filled their hearts, as appeares, Exod. 23. 27, 28. There is no Hornet can ſo vex with his ſting, as theſe terrors vex evill conſciences in evill dayes. Now here is the priviledge of good conſciences, though they may ſmart with the ſword, yet the Hornet ſhal not ſting them, nor fill their hearts with that throbbing anguiſh, that theſe terrors in times of calamitie put evill conſciences to.
A ſweet motive to make any in love with a good conſcience. Whileſt we look upon the evills of the times, wee cannot but looke for euill times. Looke we upon our ſinnes, and Gods adminiſtration abroad; upon the malice and policies of the adverſaries of Gods grace, and what doe theſe but prognoſticate heavy things. Now ſuppoſe a flood ſhould come, would we not be glad of an arke, and ſuch a cabbin therein, as ſhould keepe out the waters from our ſoules? Get then the pitch of a good Conſcience, and thou ſhalt fit like Noah, if not free from the waters, yet free from the feares of Lamech, and Tubal-cain, which are worſe than the waters. For the feares of ſuch evills are more bitter and inſufferable than the evils themſelves. Suppoſe, I ſay, a flood ſhould come, who would not give a kingdome for an Arke well pitcht? Suppoſe calamitie ſhould come, who would not give a world for a good Conſcience then? Iabel, Gen. 4. 20. he is buſie in building of tents, and he is among his flockes and cattell; and Iubal, Geneſ. 4. 21. hee is wholly upon his merry pins, as his Harpe and Organs; He and his take the Timbrel and the Harpe, and rejoyce at the ſound of the Organ, Iob 21. 12. And theſe jolly joviall lads give poore Noah many a drie flout, many a ſcornfull ſcoffe, whileſt hee is building his Arke, and aske what this brainſicke & mad fellow meanes to make ſuch a veſſell, whether he meant to ſayle on the dry land, or to make a ſea when he had made his ſhip? I, but when the flood is come, and the waters begin to bee chin deepe, then aske Iabel whether building of tents, or building of an Arke bee the wiſer worke? then whether is better Noahs Arke, or Iubals Pipes? Now that the flood is come, & theſe come perhaps wading middle deep to the Arke ſide, and bellow and howle to Noah to open the arke to them: Now would not Iabel give all his tents, and all his cattell, but to bee where Noahs dog lyes? would not Iubal now give all his pipes and merriment, to have but the place that an hogge had in the Arke. Now Iubal, let us heare one of your merry ſongs, pipe now and make your ſelves merry with gybing at Noahs folly, in making a ſhip to ſaile on dry land. What aileſt thou Iubal to howle & wring thine hands thus? where is thine Harpe & Organs now? cheere up thy ſoule now with theſe vanities. Now the Flood is come, now Noah is in the Arke, now Sirs, you that are ſuch men of renowne, Gen. 6. 4. you that were the brave gallants of the earth, now tell me who is the foole, and who is the wiſe man now?
How many in the dayes of peace make light of a good Conſcience; yea if they ſee others to be but carefull in rigging of their Ship, and pitching, and trimming up ſuch an Arke, how ready are they to ſpend their byting ſcoffes, and their tart jeſts upon them, but if ever times of trouble & calamitie, and a fire flood of Gods wrath, Nah. 1. 6, 8. ſhould breake in, then would a good Conſcience hold up the head with much comfort, and reſolution, whileſt thoſe that formerly made a jeaſt of a good conſcience ſhould have aking, and quaking hearts, by reaſon of thoſe unmeaſurable feares that ſhall ſeize upon them. A good conſcience will make a man muſick; when Iubal ſhalbe glad not only to put up, but with indignation and anguiſh of heart to throw away and curſe his pipes. Well fare a good conſcience in evill dayes. Pitch and trim up this Ark, there is no ſuch proviſion againſt evill dayes, as is a good conſcience. It will do a man ſervice, and ſupport him, when all the brave ſpirits of the earth ſhalbe blank, and at their wits end.
In the third place, the benefit and comfort 3. The comfort of a good conſcience in time of Sickneſſe.of a good conſcience, is conſpicuous in the time of ſickneſſe, or a mans private and perſonall croſſes in his eſtate, &c. A ſicke man with an hayle conſcience, is a cheary and a comfortable man, Prov. 13. 14. The ſpirit of a man will ſuſtaine his infirmity; that is, the ſpirit it ſelfe being hayle, and ſound, it wil enable him to bear any bodily ſickneſſe. But a wounded ſpirit who can beare; yea a wounded or a ſicke body, who can comfortably beare, if the ſpirit or conſcience be ſicke? But let the conſcience bee good and ſound; and it helpes a man with great eaſe and comfort, to beare the ſickneſſe of the body. It is a ſhrewd burthen to beare two ſickneſſes at once, to have a ſicke body, and a ſicke conſcience. A man ſhall find enough of the eaſieſt of them ſingle and alone. But yet an hayle conſcience in an infirme body, ſweetly helpes our infirmitie. Let a man have ever ſo hayle and heathfull a body, yet if the conſcience be naught, and withall awakened, fals to galling and griping, he ſhall find but little joy in his bodily health; ſo contrarily, let a mans conſcience be good; and though his body be ſicke and weake, yet it is a great deale of ſweet refreſhment that it ſhall receive from the conſcience.
Sickneſſe in it ſelfe is exceeding uncomfortable, and in the time of ſickneſſe commonly all bodily comforts, the comforts of meates, drinkes and ſleepe, faile; yea but then here is the benefit of a good conſcience, that will not then fayle, but as it is ſaid, Eccl. 10. 9. Money anſwers all things, ſo a good conſcience anſwers all things, the comfort of it ſupplies the wants of all other comforts. When in ſickneſſe the comfort of meat, drink, and ſleepe is gone, they are all found againe in the comfort of a good conſcience; that will be meat, and drinke, that will be reſt and ſleep, that will make a mans ſick-bed ſoft, and eaſie, that ſhall be as the Angels were to Chriſt in his hunger in the Wilderneſſe, they miniſtred unto him, and ſo will a good conſcience miniſter comfort in the want of all other comforts, ſo that a man may ſay of a good conſcience, as we uſe to ſay of ſome ſolid, ſubſtantiall diſh, that there are Partridge, Pheſants and Quailes in it; ſo though outward comforts ceaſe their office, and their worke be ſuſpended, yet a good conſcience comes in its roome, and in it are meat, drinke, ſleepe, eaſe, refreſhment, and what not? A good conſcience is an Electuary, or a Cordiall that hath all theſe ingredients in it. There is no ſuch Cordiall to a ſicke man, as the cordiall of a good conſcience. All Phyſicians to this Phyſician are but ſuch Phyſians as Iobs friends, Iob 13. 4. Yea are Phyſicians of no value. A motive of great weight to make men in love with a good conſcience. Who can be free from ſickneſſe, and how tedious and weariſome a time is the time of ſickneſſe? Now who would not make much of a Cordiall that might cheare him then, of a receipt that might feed him then? As then we would bee glad of a chearfull and comfortable ſpirit upon our ſicke beds, ſo make much of a good conſcience. Whence is it that moſt men in their ſickneſſes have ſuch drooping ſpirits, lye groaning altogether under their bodily paines, or lye ſottiſhly and ſenſleſly, no ſenſe of any thing but paine and ſickneſſe? Meerely from the want of a good conſcience, they have laid up no Cordial, no comfortable Electuary for themſelves in their health time againſt the day of ſickneſſe. Indeed you ſhall have the miſerable comforters of the world on this manner cheering them; why, how now man, where is your heart? Plucke up a good heart man, never feare for a little ſicknes, &c. True indeed, they ſhould not need to feare, if they could plucke up a good heart. But they that will plucke it up when they are ſicke, muſt lay it up when they are well. Hee that hath a good conſcience to get when he lyes upon his ſicke bed, is like a man that hath his Aqua-vitae to buy when hee is fallen into a ſwoune; A wiſe man that feares ſwouning, would have his hot-water-bottle hanging alwayes ready at his beds-head. But as in other croſſes by ſickneſſe and the like, ſo is the comfort of a good conſcience, never more ſweet, then when a man is under the croſſe for conſcience ſake, and ſuffers affliction and vexation to keepe a good conſcience. Then above all other times will conſcience doe the office of a Comforter, and will ſtand to him that will ſtand for it. When Nebuchadnezzar heares his Furnace ſeaven times hotter than at other times, then a good conſcience will ſpeak comfort ſeven times ſweeter than at other times.
Are Gods Saints for good conſcience …on Acts and Mon. Omnis nobis vilis eſt poena, ubi pura comes eſt conſcientia. Tiburt. apud. Baren. An. 168.ſake in priſon? Good conſcience will make their priſons delectable hort-yards. So doth Algerius an Italian Martyr date a comfortable Epiſtle of his, From the delectable hortyard of the Leonine priſon, a priſon in Venice ſo called. So that as he ſaid, that hee had rather be in priſon with Cato, than with Caeſar in the Senate houſe, ſo in this regard it was more comfortable to be with Philpot in the Colehouſe, than with Bonner in his Palace. Bonners conſcience made his Palace a Cole houſe, and a Dungeon, whilſt Philpots made the Cole-houſe a Palace.
Are Gods Saints in the Stocks? Better it is, ſayes Philpot, to ſit in the Stocks of the world, then in the ſtocks of a damnable conſcience. Therefore though they be in the Stocks, yet even then, the righteous doth ſing and rejoyce, yea, even in the Stocks, and priſon; Paul and Silas ſang in the Stocks. Sing in the Stocks? Nay Hinc eſt quod è contrario innocens etiam inter ipſa tormenta fruitur conſcientiae ſecuritate, & cum de poena metuat de innocentia gloriatur. Hieron. ad Demetti. ad …. 1.more; they can ſing in the flames, and in the middſt of the fires, Iſay. 24. 15. Glorifie God in the fires. And worthy Hawks could clap his hands in the middſt of the flames. So great and ſo paſſing all underſtanding is the peace and comfort of a good conſcience. So that in ſome ſenſe that may be ſaid of it which is ſpoken of faith, Heb. 11. 34. By it they quenched the violence of fire. Gods ſervants were ſo rapt, and raviſht with the ſenſe of Gods love, and their inward peace of conſcience, that they ſeem'd to have a kind of happy dedolencie, and want of feeling of the ſmart of outward torments.
Who knowes what trialls God may bring him to? Wee have no patent for our peace, nor his free liberty in the profeſſion of the Goſpel. Suppoſe we ſhould be cald to the ſtake for Chriſts ſake. Would we be chearful, would we ſing in the flames? Get a good conſcience. The cauſe of Chriſt is a good cauſe, now with a good cauſe get a good conſcience, and wee ſhall be able with all chearfulneſſe to lay downe our lives for Chriſt, and his Goſpel ſake.